13 july 2015
The soldier's self-inflicted injuries
Soldier confesses to lying to police about attack in Nazareth Illit, admits to have intentionally caused his own injuries.
A Christian IDF soldier from Yafa an-Naseriyye admitted on Monday to lying to the police when he claimed he was attacked by Muslim Arabs because he joined the Israeli army.
The soldier told police investigators on Sunday that he was attacked at a bus stop in Nazareth Illit while on his way back to base, dressed in his military uniform. He arrived at the Poriya Medical Center in Tiberias in the evening hours with bruises all over his body and was released after midnight.
But when the soldier was questioned by police on Monday, he confessed to lying about the attack and admitted to intentionally wounding himself. The soldier was held for questioning on suspicions of giving a false statement to police and of obstruction of justice, and his case will be transferred to the military police for further investigation.
The soldier initially claimed that a group of youths from Nazareth's eastern neighborhood walked towards him and yelled profanities at him. He said he started running towards a nearby grove, but they caught him and beat him. After learning the soldier lied, the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum said: "We regret that the soldier chose to take advantage of a real problem of violence that exists, and which Christian soldiers deal with, for his own unknown personal interests.
"Over the past six months, there have been several real cases of violent assaults against Christian soldiers and it's a shame the issue is being brought to light with a fictional case that could cause damage in the future. Nonetheless, we hope that in light of the public discussion and media coverage, the different authorities get into the thick of things and work to put an end to this phenomenon of violence against Christian soldiers."
Soldier confesses to lying to police about attack in Nazareth Illit, admits to have intentionally caused his own injuries.
A Christian IDF soldier from Yafa an-Naseriyye admitted on Monday to lying to the police when he claimed he was attacked by Muslim Arabs because he joined the Israeli army.
The soldier told police investigators on Sunday that he was attacked at a bus stop in Nazareth Illit while on his way back to base, dressed in his military uniform. He arrived at the Poriya Medical Center in Tiberias in the evening hours with bruises all over his body and was released after midnight.
But when the soldier was questioned by police on Monday, he confessed to lying about the attack and admitted to intentionally wounding himself. The soldier was held for questioning on suspicions of giving a false statement to police and of obstruction of justice, and his case will be transferred to the military police for further investigation.
The soldier initially claimed that a group of youths from Nazareth's eastern neighborhood walked towards him and yelled profanities at him. He said he started running towards a nearby grove, but they caught him and beat him. After learning the soldier lied, the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum said: "We regret that the soldier chose to take advantage of a real problem of violence that exists, and which Christian soldiers deal with, for his own unknown personal interests.
"Over the past six months, there have been several real cases of violent assaults against Christian soldiers and it's a shame the issue is being brought to light with a fictional case that could cause damage in the future. Nonetheless, we hope that in light of the public discussion and media coverage, the different authorities get into the thick of things and work to put an end to this phenomenon of violence against Christian soldiers."
Palestinians carried the body of Muhammad Hani al-Kasba, 17, at his funeral in Ramallah on July 3, the day he was killed
An Israeli human rights group on Monday challenged the military’s account of an episode in which a soldier shot and killed a Palestinian youth who had hurled a rock at the soldier’s vehicle, saying that video and witnesses’ accounts contradicted the army’s version of the incident.The rights group B’Tselem, which made the assertions, also questioned Israel’s ability to impartially investigate allegations that its armed forces had acted illegally.
Immediately after the shooting on July 3, a military spokeswoman said that Israeli soldiers first fired into the air to warn the stone throwers to stop, and that the episode was under investigation. The military has since said it could not comment more on the matter.
But the video and the witnesses’ accounts appear to indicate that the soldiers ran after the youth, Muhammad Hani al-Kasba, after he threw a rock at their vehicle and that they were not in apparent danger while pursuing him, B’Tselem said. In addition, Mr. Kasba, 17, was shot in the back and the side of his face, suggesting that he was shot while fleeing the soldiers, said Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for B’Tselem.
The episode has loomed large since the Palestinians joined the International Criminal Court. The court will have to decide whether Israel can fairly investigate itself before it opens its own criminal investigation into Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza last summer, as well as investigating suspected violations in the West Bank, as the Palestinians have requested. Fatou Bensouda, the court’s chief prosecutor, began a preliminary investigation on that question in January.
The shooting of Mr. Kasba has received unusual attention because Israeli news media outlets have reported that the officer who shot him, Col. Yisrael Shomer, leads a brigade that oversees a central district in the West Bank.
“It sends a message to all other soldiers in the region: ‘This is how one should behave,’ ” Ms. Michaeli said.
The Israeli news media reported that Colonel Shomer had been questioned on Sunday.
Video from a security camera provided by Mr. Kasba’s family to B’Tselem shows the teenager hurling a rock at a vehicle’s window and then running away. Three soldiers then leave the vehicle, with two of them pursuing Mr. Kasba and the third soldier standing near the vehicle. Seconds later, they return to the vehicle and drive away.
The video, along with accounts by Palestinian witnesses and photographs of Mr. Kasba’s body that were provided to B’Tselem, indicate that he was not risking the soldiers’ lives when he was shot and killed, Ms. Michaeli said. In a video distributed on social media networks that purports to show Mr. Kasba after he was shot, he is seen lying on the ground with blood pooling around his face, neck and upper shoulders, as people yell for medical help.
Ms. Michaeli said that he had been shot twice in the upper back and once on the side of his face, which she said indicated that he had been running away when he was shot. The witnesses’ statements and the video also suggested, she said, that the soldiers left Mr. Kasba without offering any medical treatment. He was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Ramallah, where he was pronounced dead.
Thaer al-Kasba, the youth’s older brother, said the family had lost two other children in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the height of the second Palestinian intifada in 2001 and 2002.
On Monday, Israeli news media also reported that six high-ranking military officers had been questioned about episodes in the Gaza war, including one in which an Israeli lieutenant colonel was accused of ordering soldiers to fire on a Palestinian medical clinic.
Israel has increasingly made public the results of such investigations, particularly related to the Gaza war last year, to underscore the strengths of their system.
The shooting of Mr. Kasba was among a number of recent episodes involving attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians on the West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ms. Michaeli, the rights group’s spokeswoman, cast doubt on the ability of the military to impartially investigate the shooting of Mr. Kasba. She said it appeared that investigators had not yet interviewed any witnesses, nor had they returned to the scene or requested an autopsy. She said B’Tselem had provided the military with the video footage of the episode.
She said some of the problems with military investigations were the result of incompetence, but that others reflected the reality of life in the West Bank, where Palestinians have been hostile, and sometimes violent, with military investigators, who are perceived as part of an occupying army.
“It raises great concern as to whether the following criminal investigation can actually lead to meaningful justice and accountability,” she said.
B’Tselem and other human rights groups have noted that Israeli military investigations into accusations of crimes committed against Palestinians in the West Bank rarely lead to prosecutions.
“When you look at the broader picture, we find that the system functions — this is terrible to say — the system works as a whitewash mechanism,” Ms. Michaeli said.
An Israeli human rights group on Monday challenged the military’s account of an episode in which a soldier shot and killed a Palestinian youth who had hurled a rock at the soldier’s vehicle, saying that video and witnesses’ accounts contradicted the army’s version of the incident.The rights group B’Tselem, which made the assertions, also questioned Israel’s ability to impartially investigate allegations that its armed forces had acted illegally.
Immediately after the shooting on July 3, a military spokeswoman said that Israeli soldiers first fired into the air to warn the stone throwers to stop, and that the episode was under investigation. The military has since said it could not comment more on the matter.
But the video and the witnesses’ accounts appear to indicate that the soldiers ran after the youth, Muhammad Hani al-Kasba, after he threw a rock at their vehicle and that they were not in apparent danger while pursuing him, B’Tselem said. In addition, Mr. Kasba, 17, was shot in the back and the side of his face, suggesting that he was shot while fleeing the soldiers, said Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for B’Tselem.
The episode has loomed large since the Palestinians joined the International Criminal Court. The court will have to decide whether Israel can fairly investigate itself before it opens its own criminal investigation into Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza last summer, as well as investigating suspected violations in the West Bank, as the Palestinians have requested. Fatou Bensouda, the court’s chief prosecutor, began a preliminary investigation on that question in January.
The shooting of Mr. Kasba has received unusual attention because Israeli news media outlets have reported that the officer who shot him, Col. Yisrael Shomer, leads a brigade that oversees a central district in the West Bank.
“It sends a message to all other soldiers in the region: ‘This is how one should behave,’ ” Ms. Michaeli said.
The Israeli news media reported that Colonel Shomer had been questioned on Sunday.
Video from a security camera provided by Mr. Kasba’s family to B’Tselem shows the teenager hurling a rock at a vehicle’s window and then running away. Three soldiers then leave the vehicle, with two of them pursuing Mr. Kasba and the third soldier standing near the vehicle. Seconds later, they return to the vehicle and drive away.
The video, along with accounts by Palestinian witnesses and photographs of Mr. Kasba’s body that were provided to B’Tselem, indicate that he was not risking the soldiers’ lives when he was shot and killed, Ms. Michaeli said. In a video distributed on social media networks that purports to show Mr. Kasba after he was shot, he is seen lying on the ground with blood pooling around his face, neck and upper shoulders, as people yell for medical help.
Ms. Michaeli said that he had been shot twice in the upper back and once on the side of his face, which she said indicated that he had been running away when he was shot. The witnesses’ statements and the video also suggested, she said, that the soldiers left Mr. Kasba without offering any medical treatment. He was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Ramallah, where he was pronounced dead.
Thaer al-Kasba, the youth’s older brother, said the family had lost two other children in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the height of the second Palestinian intifada in 2001 and 2002.
On Monday, Israeli news media also reported that six high-ranking military officers had been questioned about episodes in the Gaza war, including one in which an Israeli lieutenant colonel was accused of ordering soldiers to fire on a Palestinian medical clinic.
Israel has increasingly made public the results of such investigations, particularly related to the Gaza war last year, to underscore the strengths of their system.
The shooting of Mr. Kasba was among a number of recent episodes involving attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians on the West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ms. Michaeli, the rights group’s spokeswoman, cast doubt on the ability of the military to impartially investigate the shooting of Mr. Kasba. She said it appeared that investigators had not yet interviewed any witnesses, nor had they returned to the scene or requested an autopsy. She said B’Tselem had provided the military with the video footage of the episode.
She said some of the problems with military investigations were the result of incompetence, but that others reflected the reality of life in the West Bank, where Palestinians have been hostile, and sometimes violent, with military investigators, who are perceived as part of an occupying army.
“It raises great concern as to whether the following criminal investigation can actually lead to meaningful justice and accountability,” she said.
B’Tselem and other human rights groups have noted that Israeli military investigations into accusations of crimes committed against Palestinians in the West Bank rarely lead to prosecutions.
“When you look at the broader picture, we find that the system functions — this is terrible to say — the system works as a whitewash mechanism,” Ms. Michaeli said.
Bentzi Gopstein, leader of the "Lehava" organization, under arrest
Lehava, a self-styled 'anti-assimilation' pressure group, has increased its presence in the capital, in order to fend off 'harassment' of Jewish women by Arabs. Critics say they terrorize the city's Palestinians.
The far-right fringe group Lehava has been increasing its presence on the streets of Jerusalem lately, following months of keeping a low profile while police were investigating charges of incitement.
Members of the group regularly march through the center of the capital, holding anti-Arab banners and chanting "Arabs beware – our sisters are not up for grabs" and "Jewish girls for the Jewish people." They also chant the praises of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was labeled racist by the High Court and subsequently outlawed.
The members of Lehava, a self-styled "anti-assimilation" pressure group, often clash with Arabs and left-wing protesters, as they did on Thursday. In a video filmed by the group "Jerusalem Stands up to Racism," a marcher is seen shouting at a counter-protester: "Do you want your children to marry with Arabs? Go to Gaza then!"
Police were called up to the scene, and detained Lehava chairman, Benzi Gopstein, on suspicion of disturbing the peace. Gopstein, for his part, said he would sue the police for unlawful arrest. Police spokespersons have said that Lehava do not seek prior approval, which is required by law, for their gathering. Members of "Jerusalem Stands up to Racism" have asked the police and the Jerusalem municipality to prohibit the marches, saying they stir up racist violence and terrorize Arab passers-by. Lehava have claimed in response that their activity is perfectly lawful.
"Quite often, it results in physical violence against Palestinians," left-wing activist Aviv Tatarsky told Ynet. "Palestinians are beaten in Jerusalem weeks on end. Violence in the city is on the rise. Palestinian families come to the city center during Ramadan and feel threatened. Arab taxi drivers call me up in the middle of the night and tell me that they fear for their lives."
Tatarsky says that the authorities are wrong to fight Lehava at the legal level. "Those who want to try and prevent assimilation are welcome to do it, but this is a violent gang of dozens of people who incite to racist – and the mayor and leading rabbis say nothing. Why isn't it at the top of our agenda?" Gadi Gvaryahu, chairman of the left-wing Tag Meir organization, accused Lehava of promoting a rhetoric that dehumanizes non-Jews.
"Their incitement led to the killing of (16-year-old Palestinian) Mohammed Abu Khdeir (last year)," he said. Gopstein claims that it's the left-wing organizations that fan the flames, and that it is absolutely necessary to fight against assimilation.
"Recently, we were contacted by Jewish women who said they were harassed in Jerusalem's nightlife areas," he said. "This is why we decided to step up our visibility in the city. We make sure members of ethnic minority groups refrain from harassment, and raise awareness about the danger of assimilation. Sadly, radical left-wing provocateurs have started clashing with our activists. And the authorities, instead of dealing with harassments by Arabs and provocations by left-wingers, picks on us."
Adv. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Lehava's legal advisor, said their critics are only trying to silence them. "They have to understand that Israel is a democracy and that there's free speech," he said. "Lehava's activity is entirely lawful, as has been repeatedly confirmed by police. The Jerusalem District Court has recently said that campaigning against assimilation isn't racist." "The better the leftists understand it the better – and the minute their daughter assimilates, they should call Gopstein," he added.
Other activists have launched a less confrontational approach to counter Lehava. Such is "Talking at the Square," a group that seeks to engage teenagers from the margins of society, to prevent them from being drawn to groups like Lehava. "We realized that we need to engage them," said activist Hillel Fischer. "Quite often they are young and confused children who seek attention. And we'd rather they get it from us than from Gopstein."
The Jerusalem Police confirmed in response that Lehava's events were not coordinated with them. A spokesperson for the Jerusalem municipality said that "the mayor wholly condemns any expression of racism or violence against people of all faiths, and the municipality liaises with the police in order to crack down on potential acts of racist violence."
"As a complementary measure," the municipality spokesperson added, "we seek to curb violence and racism through formal and informal educational and welfare channels, in collaboration with NGOs, parents' organizations and civil society initiatives."
Lehava, a self-styled 'anti-assimilation' pressure group, has increased its presence in the capital, in order to fend off 'harassment' of Jewish women by Arabs. Critics say they terrorize the city's Palestinians.
The far-right fringe group Lehava has been increasing its presence on the streets of Jerusalem lately, following months of keeping a low profile while police were investigating charges of incitement.
Members of the group regularly march through the center of the capital, holding anti-Arab banners and chanting "Arabs beware – our sisters are not up for grabs" and "Jewish girls for the Jewish people." They also chant the praises of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was labeled racist by the High Court and subsequently outlawed.
The members of Lehava, a self-styled "anti-assimilation" pressure group, often clash with Arabs and left-wing protesters, as they did on Thursday. In a video filmed by the group "Jerusalem Stands up to Racism," a marcher is seen shouting at a counter-protester: "Do you want your children to marry with Arabs? Go to Gaza then!"
Police were called up to the scene, and detained Lehava chairman, Benzi Gopstein, on suspicion of disturbing the peace. Gopstein, for his part, said he would sue the police for unlawful arrest. Police spokespersons have said that Lehava do not seek prior approval, which is required by law, for their gathering. Members of "Jerusalem Stands up to Racism" have asked the police and the Jerusalem municipality to prohibit the marches, saying they stir up racist violence and terrorize Arab passers-by. Lehava have claimed in response that their activity is perfectly lawful.
"Quite often, it results in physical violence against Palestinians," left-wing activist Aviv Tatarsky told Ynet. "Palestinians are beaten in Jerusalem weeks on end. Violence in the city is on the rise. Palestinian families come to the city center during Ramadan and feel threatened. Arab taxi drivers call me up in the middle of the night and tell me that they fear for their lives."
Tatarsky says that the authorities are wrong to fight Lehava at the legal level. "Those who want to try and prevent assimilation are welcome to do it, but this is a violent gang of dozens of people who incite to racist – and the mayor and leading rabbis say nothing. Why isn't it at the top of our agenda?" Gadi Gvaryahu, chairman of the left-wing Tag Meir organization, accused Lehava of promoting a rhetoric that dehumanizes non-Jews.
"Their incitement led to the killing of (16-year-old Palestinian) Mohammed Abu Khdeir (last year)," he said. Gopstein claims that it's the left-wing organizations that fan the flames, and that it is absolutely necessary to fight against assimilation.
"Recently, we were contacted by Jewish women who said they were harassed in Jerusalem's nightlife areas," he said. "This is why we decided to step up our visibility in the city. We make sure members of ethnic minority groups refrain from harassment, and raise awareness about the danger of assimilation. Sadly, radical left-wing provocateurs have started clashing with our activists. And the authorities, instead of dealing with harassments by Arabs and provocations by left-wingers, picks on us."
Adv. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Lehava's legal advisor, said their critics are only trying to silence them. "They have to understand that Israel is a democracy and that there's free speech," he said. "Lehava's activity is entirely lawful, as has been repeatedly confirmed by police. The Jerusalem District Court has recently said that campaigning against assimilation isn't racist." "The better the leftists understand it the better – and the minute their daughter assimilates, they should call Gopstein," he added.
Other activists have launched a less confrontational approach to counter Lehava. Such is "Talking at the Square," a group that seeks to engage teenagers from the margins of society, to prevent them from being drawn to groups like Lehava. "We realized that we need to engage them," said activist Hillel Fischer. "Quite often they are young and confused children who seek attention. And we'd rather they get it from us than from Gopstein."
The Jerusalem Police confirmed in response that Lehava's events were not coordinated with them. A spokesperson for the Jerusalem municipality said that "the mayor wholly condemns any expression of racism or violence against people of all faiths, and the municipality liaises with the police in order to crack down on potential acts of racist violence."
"As a complementary measure," the municipality spokesperson added, "we seek to curb violence and racism through formal and informal educational and welfare channels, in collaboration with NGOs, parents' organizations and civil society initiatives."
12 july 2015
Fire caused extensive damage to Church of Loaves and Fishes, where perpetrators left Hebrew graffiti denouncing the worship of idols.
The Judea and Samaria police and the Shin Bet arrested three Jewish youth who are suspected of being involved in the arson at the Church of Loaves and Fishes in northern Israel about a month ago, it was cleared for publication on Sunday.
The three were placed under an order preventing them from meeting a lawyer, and will be brought for a remand extension at the Magistrate's Court in Nazareth on Sunday. They are represented by Honenu attorneys Adi Kedar and Aharon Roza, who appealed against the order to the Magistrate's and District courts in Jerusalem.
"This unusual order is reserved for serious security offenses only, and not for property offenses like the one in this case," Honenu said in a statement.
The Shin Bet said Sunday that a covert investigation led them to the three suspects. The church, which Christians believe is where Jesus performed the Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes, lies on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and is a traditional site of pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said a preliminary investigation showed the blaze broke out in several places inside the church, evidence that it was started deliberately.
Police initially arrested 16 youths, all yeshiva students from West Bank settlements, but released them shortly after.
Israel arrests perpetrators of Galilee church attack
Israeli newspaper Yade’out Ahrenout said this morning that the Israeli police and security services have arrested the two Jewish extremists who vandalized and set fire to Galilee’s Church of Loaves and Fish a month ago.
The newspaper claimed that the anti-terrorism unit in the Israeli police force, who opened a secret investigation into the arson attack, today allowed the publication of details on the arrest of two Israelis involved in the racially-motivated attack on the Galilee church.
It said that Israeli police units based in the West Bank had indicated that the perpetrators were Jewish settlers and that the police had arrested them in cooperation with security services. No other details were given.
It is worth noting that Israel usually frees extremist settlers who carry out attacks on Palestinian citizens and holy sites. The extremists are usually described as ‘mentally ill’ and then released despite hard evidence to the contrary.
Extensive damage was caused when the two settlers deliberately set fire to several areas inside the church, which is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus peformed a miracle by feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Racist and anti-Christian graffiti was also spraypainted in red on a church wall, defiling the holy site.
The Judea and Samaria police and the Shin Bet arrested three Jewish youth who are suspected of being involved in the arson at the Church of Loaves and Fishes in northern Israel about a month ago, it was cleared for publication on Sunday.
The three were placed under an order preventing them from meeting a lawyer, and will be brought for a remand extension at the Magistrate's Court in Nazareth on Sunday. They are represented by Honenu attorneys Adi Kedar and Aharon Roza, who appealed against the order to the Magistrate's and District courts in Jerusalem.
"This unusual order is reserved for serious security offenses only, and not for property offenses like the one in this case," Honenu said in a statement.
The Shin Bet said Sunday that a covert investigation led them to the three suspects. The church, which Christians believe is where Jesus performed the Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes, lies on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and is a traditional site of pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said a preliminary investigation showed the blaze broke out in several places inside the church, evidence that it was started deliberately.
Police initially arrested 16 youths, all yeshiva students from West Bank settlements, but released them shortly after.
Israel arrests perpetrators of Galilee church attack
Israeli newspaper Yade’out Ahrenout said this morning that the Israeli police and security services have arrested the two Jewish extremists who vandalized and set fire to Galilee’s Church of Loaves and Fish a month ago.
The newspaper claimed that the anti-terrorism unit in the Israeli police force, who opened a secret investigation into the arson attack, today allowed the publication of details on the arrest of two Israelis involved in the racially-motivated attack on the Galilee church.
It said that Israeli police units based in the West Bank had indicated that the perpetrators were Jewish settlers and that the police had arrested them in cooperation with security services. No other details were given.
It is worth noting that Israel usually frees extremist settlers who carry out attacks on Palestinian citizens and holy sites. The extremists are usually described as ‘mentally ill’ and then released despite hard evidence to the contrary.
Extensive damage was caused when the two settlers deliberately set fire to several areas inside the church, which is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus peformed a miracle by feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Racist and anti-Christian graffiti was also spraypainted in red on a church wall, defiling the holy site.
9 july 2015
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Former contestant on Israeli singing competition, Adi Lederman, takes plea bargain, confessing to computer trespassing and infringement of privacy and property rights.
A former contestant in Israel's version of "American Idol" was jailed for 14 months on Thursday for selling demo tracks he stole from Madonna's latest album by hacking into the email and cloud accounts of people close to the singer. Under a plea bargain at Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, Adi Lederman confessed to computer trespassing and infringement of privacy and property rights in connection with the offences, committed last year. |
He was also fined 15,000 shekels ($4,000).
According to court papers, Lederman sold demo tracks from Madonna's album "Rebel Heart" to two buyers at $300 each, having copied the files from cloud accounts whose passwords he obtained after hacking email servers used by her musical director Kevin Antunes, talent manager Guy Oseary and two other people. Lederman also obtained parts of Madonna's work diary.
"The ease with which crimes such as this can be committed by those who have skills in the field, such as the accused, require an appropriate punitive response that has a deterrent and uncompromising message," the court said in a statement.
Arguing for leniency, Lederman's lawyer told the court that his client was "not someone with a criminal mentality, but rather, a very fired-up and impassioned collector who went too far". Lederman had health problems, said the lawyer, declining to detail these for the court record out of privacy concerns. Lederman, 39, was arrested in January after an investigation assisted by the FBI.
Unfinished tracks from "Rebel Heart" had leaked online a month earlier. Madonna has said the crime was an "invasion into my life - creatively, professionally and personally (that) remains a deeply devastating and hurtful experience".
Lederman previously made a brief appearance on "A Star Is Born", Israel's version of "American Idol", before being voted off.
According to court papers, Lederman sold demo tracks from Madonna's album "Rebel Heart" to two buyers at $300 each, having copied the files from cloud accounts whose passwords he obtained after hacking email servers used by her musical director Kevin Antunes, talent manager Guy Oseary and two other people. Lederman also obtained parts of Madonna's work diary.
"The ease with which crimes such as this can be committed by those who have skills in the field, such as the accused, require an appropriate punitive response that has a deterrent and uncompromising message," the court said in a statement.
Arguing for leniency, Lederman's lawyer told the court that his client was "not someone with a criminal mentality, but rather, a very fired-up and impassioned collector who went too far". Lederman had health problems, said the lawyer, declining to detail these for the court record out of privacy concerns. Lederman, 39, was arrested in January after an investigation assisted by the FBI.
Unfinished tracks from "Rebel Heart" had leaked online a month earlier. Madonna has said the crime was an "invasion into my life - creatively, professionally and personally (that) remains a deeply devastating and hurtful experience".
Lederman previously made a brief appearance on "A Star Is Born", Israel's version of "American Idol", before being voted off.
7 july 2015
Israel arrested 9 Druze last night during the ongoing investigations into the attacks on an Israeli military ambulance last month, which resulted in the killing of a Syrian officer and an Israeli soldier.
Israeli media reported today that Israeli police forces arrested 9 Syrian Golan Druze last night, claiming they participated in the attack on a military ambulance that killed a Syrian man.
According to the Israeli webpage, the units of the Israeli border carried out the arrests at night, increasing the number of detainees from the Syrian Golan Druze villages from 20 to 29.
A large number of men from the Druze villages in the Golan Heights are said to have attacked an Israeli military ambulance transporting Syrian opposition members the 22nd of June. The attack caused the death of a wounded officer and injured an Israeli soldier, in what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya’alon considers a serious event.
According to Ma’arev newspaper, the Druze believe Israel is administering medical care to rebels from the Al-Nusra Front, which recently killed some 20 Druze in Syria.
Israeli media reported today that Israeli police forces arrested 9 Syrian Golan Druze last night, claiming they participated in the attack on a military ambulance that killed a Syrian man.
According to the Israeli webpage, the units of the Israeli border carried out the arrests at night, increasing the number of detainees from the Syrian Golan Druze villages from 20 to 29.
A large number of men from the Druze villages in the Golan Heights are said to have attacked an Israeli military ambulance transporting Syrian opposition members the 22nd of June. The attack caused the death of a wounded officer and injured an Israeli soldier, in what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya’alon considers a serious event.
According to Ma’arev newspaper, the Druze believe Israel is administering medical care to rebels from the Al-Nusra Front, which recently killed some 20 Druze in Syria.
6 july 2015
Hagai Zaguray
Prison employee accused of bringing pornography, food, alcohol, shoes and more for organized crime bosses in exchange for bribes.
Pornography, alcohol, sneakers, and a baguette with kebab – these are a few of the items requested by convicts, including organized crime chiefs, from a prison guard at Eshel Prison who cooperated with them, according to an indictment filed against him on Monday.
The prison guard, Gershon Bar-Ziv, 30, is charged with supplying these "favors" to, among others, Hagai Zagury, the head of a criminal organization in the south serving 15 years for several offenses; Armond Meira, head of a criminal organization in Ashdod sentenced to six years; and Moshe Ben Igvi, convicted for the murder of taxi driver Derek Roth.
According to the indictment, Bar-Ziv smuggled in the goods in exchange for thousands of shekels. The high-level criminals received items such as cell phones, alcoholic beverages, various items of food, pornographic DVDs, and more. The indictment charges Bar-Ziv with conspiracy to commit a crime, taking of bribes by a public employee, fraud, breach of trust, and other offenses.
Prison employee accused of bringing pornography, food, alcohol, shoes and more for organized crime bosses in exchange for bribes.
Pornography, alcohol, sneakers, and a baguette with kebab – these are a few of the items requested by convicts, including organized crime chiefs, from a prison guard at Eshel Prison who cooperated with them, according to an indictment filed against him on Monday.
The prison guard, Gershon Bar-Ziv, 30, is charged with supplying these "favors" to, among others, Hagai Zagury, the head of a criminal organization in the south serving 15 years for several offenses; Armond Meira, head of a criminal organization in Ashdod sentenced to six years; and Moshe Ben Igvi, convicted for the murder of taxi driver Derek Roth.
According to the indictment, Bar-Ziv smuggled in the goods in exchange for thousands of shekels. The high-level criminals received items such as cell phones, alcoholic beverages, various items of food, pornographic DVDs, and more. The indictment charges Bar-Ziv with conspiracy to commit a crime, taking of bribes by a public employee, fraud, breach of trust, and other offenses.
Armond Meira
Indictments were also filed against two of the criminals for their alleged involvement.
The indictments outlined the alleged scheme. Zaguray purportedly paid the guard NIS 1,000 every time he snuck in contraband goods.
In one case, according to the indictment, the guard smuggled in a cell phone, vodka inside a water bottle, and whiskey inside a soft drink bottle. He kept the goods in his locker and waited for the right time when he could transfer it to the convicts.
Indictments were also filed against two of the criminals for their alleged involvement.
The indictments outlined the alleged scheme. Zaguray purportedly paid the guard NIS 1,000 every time he snuck in contraband goods.
In one case, according to the indictment, the guard smuggled in a cell phone, vodka inside a water bottle, and whiskey inside a soft drink bottle. He kept the goods in his locker and waited for the right time when he could transfer it to the convicts.
Moshe Ben Igvy
He allegedly hid a cell phone and charger inside a toilet paper roll. Bar-Ziv supposedly met Moshe Ben Igvy's mother at a restaurant, where she reportedly gave him food, clothes, shoes, CDs, and cash in sums of between 400 and 600 shekels.
The investigation began after the National Unit for Prisons Guards' Investigations was tipped off. Negev District Police arrested an intermediary, who confessed to the charges.
It should be noted that after the guard smuggled a phone for Zaguray, the prisoner's cell was searched and the equipment was confiscated.
He allegedly hid a cell phone and charger inside a toilet paper roll. Bar-Ziv supposedly met Moshe Ben Igvy's mother at a restaurant, where she reportedly gave him food, clothes, shoes, CDs, and cash in sums of between 400 and 600 shekels.
The investigation began after the National Unit for Prisons Guards' Investigations was tipped off. Negev District Police arrested an intermediary, who confessed to the charges.
It should be noted that after the guard smuggled a phone for Zaguray, the prisoner's cell was searched and the equipment was confiscated.
5 july 2015
Hebrew media sources yesterday said that an Arab woman was wounded on Saturday evening after she and her family were attacked by extremist settlers on a street in Jerusalem.
Israeli television channel ‘7th Channel’ said that the group of settlers began throwing stones at an Arab family’s car, leading to a woman passenger sustaining light wounds. 7th Channel added that the group of far-right settlers also threw stones at a number of other Arab cars, causing material damage to the cars only.
7th Channel clarified that a quarrel broke out between the Arab citizens and the Jewish extremist settlers who were provoking them. This lead to light injuries until the Israeli police arrived at the scene, deescalated the quarrel and arrested three persons from the parties involved.
It is noteworthy that extremist settlers have carried out daily attacks and provocations towards Palestinian citizens living in East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan.
Israeli television channel ‘7th Channel’ said that the group of settlers began throwing stones at an Arab family’s car, leading to a woman passenger sustaining light wounds. 7th Channel added that the group of far-right settlers also threw stones at a number of other Arab cars, causing material damage to the cars only.
7th Channel clarified that a quarrel broke out between the Arab citizens and the Jewish extremist settlers who were provoking them. This lead to light injuries until the Israeli police arrived at the scene, deescalated the quarrel and arrested three persons from the parties involved.
It is noteworthy that extremist settlers have carried out daily attacks and provocations towards Palestinian citizens living in East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan.
Assistant Commissioner Ephraim Bracha ends his life in his car; Bracha rose through the ranks in high-profile investigations and bribery scandals.
Israel's number one detective, Assistant Commissioner Ephraim Bracha, who was suspect in multiple bribery scandals, shot himself in his car near his home in Modiin early Sunday morning. Paramedics arrived on the scene where they declare his death.
Bracha was thought of by some as a brilliant detective and one of the most skilled officers in the police force. He had risen to fame within the police ranks, after recently leading sensitive investigations of national importance.
Bracha's name had rose to national attention when his name was brought up in connection with bribery allegations in the case of the Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto. However, all appeals against his new appointment as assistant commissioner where denied.
An appeal against Bracha's appointment to chief of the national fraud unit was denied. Three judges, including the Supreme Court president, Asher Grunis, stated the Bracha was qualified for the position due to his achievements in the police. Bracha led the fraud unit during the investigations of Minister Silvan Shalom and MK Fuad Ben-Eliezer.
The judges said that the state and the prosecutor challenged the Court's decision at the time; however, they were unable to appeal the decision after failing to find new evidence. The prosecution did state, however, that new evidence had come up pointing to institutional failures that where not directly tied to Bracha but may have changed the judge's decision to not intervene in his appointment.
Related: Senior Israeli officer at Shabak commits suicide
Israel's number one detective, Assistant Commissioner Ephraim Bracha, who was suspect in multiple bribery scandals, shot himself in his car near his home in Modiin early Sunday morning. Paramedics arrived on the scene where they declare his death.
Bracha was thought of by some as a brilliant detective and one of the most skilled officers in the police force. He had risen to fame within the police ranks, after recently leading sensitive investigations of national importance.
Bracha's name had rose to national attention when his name was brought up in connection with bribery allegations in the case of the Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto. However, all appeals against his new appointment as assistant commissioner where denied.
An appeal against Bracha's appointment to chief of the national fraud unit was denied. Three judges, including the Supreme Court president, Asher Grunis, stated the Bracha was qualified for the position due to his achievements in the police. Bracha led the fraud unit during the investigations of Minister Silvan Shalom and MK Fuad Ben-Eliezer.
The judges said that the state and the prosecutor challenged the Court's decision at the time; however, they were unable to appeal the decision after failing to find new evidence. The prosecution did state, however, that new evidence had come up pointing to institutional failures that where not directly tied to Bracha but may have changed the judge's decision to not intervene in his appointment.
Related: Senior Israeli officer at Shabak commits suicide
30 june 2015
Three of the victims of Arab sector violence over the past week
After four people murdered over the past week in violent incidents in the Arab sector, Israeli Arabs are frustrated at what they perceive as lack of interest from authorities.
"Arab MKs are dealing with Gaza and other things. It would appear they don't care about what happens in the sector," an angry resident of Tamra said Tuesday after a fourth person fell victim to violence in the Arab sector over the past week.
A 60-year-old Tamra resident was shot to death on Tuesday night after unknown perpetrators on a motorcycle opened fire on a supermarket in the city. Three innocent passersby, including the one who was killed, were wounded in the incident. On Sunday, a 33-year-old man was stabbed to death in a fight between relatives in the Arraba local council in the Galilee. Six were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder.
Last week, a 42-year-old teacher from the Druze village of Beit Jann was murdered. Her body was discovered with signs of severe violence. Her husband, a Border Police officer, and her son were arrested. Three days before that, a 49-year-old resident of Tayibe was killed from a stray bullet fired near his house. The latest case in Tamra has raised concerns among Arab residents who feel that their lives are in danger in light of the recent increase in violence and crime in the sector.
Following the murder in Tamra, Mayor Suhel Diab announced a general strike and demanded an answer from authorities on how to deal with the mounting violence. "Unfortunately, the Arab sector is bleeding," Diab said. "It's time to join hands. Every mother and father who know of a relative that owns a gun are asked to inform the police before other people are hurt. We need full cooperation between the police and the residents."
The mayor called on the police to send massive forces into Arab communities. "We need to install more security camera. It can't be that in Karmiel and Acre hundreds of cameras were installed and we have to settle for only nine cameras." Despite the recent murders, there has been no condemnation from Arab MKs.
An official from the Joint Arab List told Ynet in response, "We view these violent incidents very seriously and make an effort all the time to deal with this phenomenon. MK Ahmed Tibi held a sulha (reconciliation ceremony) at his house between families that had a blood feud."
The Tamra victim was a Meretz activist. MK Esawi Freige's office said that "The uncontrollable violence in the Arab society has once again claimed a life, a precious life of a wonderful man, a representative of the public. Today is the time for sadness and remembrance, but it is our duty to understand that we must fight this destructive violence, fight against it from within using education and authority and fight from without using a police force that doesn't run away and ignore, but handles it."
After four people murdered over the past week in violent incidents in the Arab sector, Israeli Arabs are frustrated at what they perceive as lack of interest from authorities.
"Arab MKs are dealing with Gaza and other things. It would appear they don't care about what happens in the sector," an angry resident of Tamra said Tuesday after a fourth person fell victim to violence in the Arab sector over the past week.
A 60-year-old Tamra resident was shot to death on Tuesday night after unknown perpetrators on a motorcycle opened fire on a supermarket in the city. Three innocent passersby, including the one who was killed, were wounded in the incident. On Sunday, a 33-year-old man was stabbed to death in a fight between relatives in the Arraba local council in the Galilee. Six were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder.
Last week, a 42-year-old teacher from the Druze village of Beit Jann was murdered. Her body was discovered with signs of severe violence. Her husband, a Border Police officer, and her son were arrested. Three days before that, a 49-year-old resident of Tayibe was killed from a stray bullet fired near his house. The latest case in Tamra has raised concerns among Arab residents who feel that their lives are in danger in light of the recent increase in violence and crime in the sector.
Following the murder in Tamra, Mayor Suhel Diab announced a general strike and demanded an answer from authorities on how to deal with the mounting violence. "Unfortunately, the Arab sector is bleeding," Diab said. "It's time to join hands. Every mother and father who know of a relative that owns a gun are asked to inform the police before other people are hurt. We need full cooperation between the police and the residents."
The mayor called on the police to send massive forces into Arab communities. "We need to install more security camera. It can't be that in Karmiel and Acre hundreds of cameras were installed and we have to settle for only nine cameras." Despite the recent murders, there has been no condemnation from Arab MKs.
An official from the Joint Arab List told Ynet in response, "We view these violent incidents very seriously and make an effort all the time to deal with this phenomenon. MK Ahmed Tibi held a sulha (reconciliation ceremony) at his house between families that had a blood feud."
The Tamra victim was a Meretz activist. MK Esawi Freige's office said that "The uncontrollable violence in the Arab society has once again claimed a life, a precious life of a wonderful man, a representative of the public. Today is the time for sadness and remembrance, but it is our duty to understand that we must fight this destructive violence, fight against it from within using education and authority and fight from without using a police force that doesn't run away and ignore, but handles it."
29 june 2015
Druze protest to protect Syrian brether
Defense minister says Israel knew there were rebels among those it was helping, and conditioned its help on terrorist groups not approaching the fence, and the safety of the Druze.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Monday it had conditioned humanitarian aid to select Syrian rebel groups on its border - on them not harming the Druze minority in the country's civil war.
The Druze in Syria have long been loyal to President Bashar Assad, and their brethren in Israel and the Golan Heights; who have been lobbying the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to safeguard the community.
The government, however, has sought to keep out of the more than four-year-old insurgency against Assad, an old foe who, they fear; may be toppled by more hostile Islamist militants.
But in a rare spillover of Syria's sectarian conflict into the Golan, a Druze mob last week beat to death a civil war casualty who was being taken by ambulance to Israel, where hundreds of Syrian wounded have received treatment during the conflict.
Israel has said it has also sent food and water across the frontier.
Briefing reporters on Monday, Ya'alon said that, from the outset, Israel knew there were rebels among those it was helping and; "placed two conditions on this aid - that terrorist groups not approach the fence, and that the Druze not be touched".
He was referring to the southern Syrian Druze village of Hader on which rebels have encroached, setting off solidarity protests in the Golan where the Druze are an Arab minority with influence in the military and government.
Another Israeli defense official said that while Israel has not refused medical treatment to any Syrian approaching its lines; "later, when it became clear that they were rebels, we made sure that they understood we expected our conditions to be kept".
The official said he knew of no cases of Israel helping members of Nusra Front, an al Qaeda offshoot in Syria which has beset the Druze. Rather, the official said, Israel has engaged mainly with non-jihadist rebels like the Free Syrian Army.
The "terrorists" referred to by Ya'alon were radical Islamists that are bent on attacking Israel no less than on toppling Assad, the Israeli official told Reuters.
But he allowed that telling them apart from other armed factions "can be difficult".
Ya'alon said Israel's conditions were being upheld, but that the June 22 Druze attack on the ambulance that left one Syrian casualty dead and another seriously wounded may have backfired by "spurring calls for revenge against the Druze in Hader".
Defense minister says Israel knew there were rebels among those it was helping, and conditioned its help on terrorist groups not approaching the fence, and the safety of the Druze.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Monday it had conditioned humanitarian aid to select Syrian rebel groups on its border - on them not harming the Druze minority in the country's civil war.
The Druze in Syria have long been loyal to President Bashar Assad, and their brethren in Israel and the Golan Heights; who have been lobbying the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to safeguard the community.
The government, however, has sought to keep out of the more than four-year-old insurgency against Assad, an old foe who, they fear; may be toppled by more hostile Islamist militants.
But in a rare spillover of Syria's sectarian conflict into the Golan, a Druze mob last week beat to death a civil war casualty who was being taken by ambulance to Israel, where hundreds of Syrian wounded have received treatment during the conflict.
Israel has said it has also sent food and water across the frontier.
Briefing reporters on Monday, Ya'alon said that, from the outset, Israel knew there were rebels among those it was helping and; "placed two conditions on this aid - that terrorist groups not approach the fence, and that the Druze not be touched".
He was referring to the southern Syrian Druze village of Hader on which rebels have encroached, setting off solidarity protests in the Golan where the Druze are an Arab minority with influence in the military and government.
Another Israeli defense official said that while Israel has not refused medical treatment to any Syrian approaching its lines; "later, when it became clear that they were rebels, we made sure that they understood we expected our conditions to be kept".
The official said he knew of no cases of Israel helping members of Nusra Front, an al Qaeda offshoot in Syria which has beset the Druze. Rather, the official said, Israel has engaged mainly with non-jihadist rebels like the Free Syrian Army.
The "terrorists" referred to by Ya'alon were radical Islamists that are bent on attacking Israel no less than on toppling Assad, the Israeli official told Reuters.
But he allowed that telling them apart from other armed factions "can be difficult".
Ya'alon said Israel's conditions were being upheld, but that the June 22 Druze attack on the ambulance that left one Syrian casualty dead and another seriously wounded may have backfired by "spurring calls for revenge against the Druze in Hader".
24 june 2015
Eran Nagauker and Niv Asraf
Niv Asraf faked his own kidnapping with the help of Eran Nagauker, causing the IDF to send massive troops to search for him.
Niv Asraf, who faked his own kidnapping in the West Bank, was indicted at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, along with his friend Eran Nagauker.
The two 22-year-olds from Be'er Sheva were charged with providing a false report and fraudulently obtaining benefits.
Asraf put the entire country on edge when he decided to fake his own kidnapping, hiding near Kiryat Arba while thousands of police and IDF troops searched for him. His friend Nagauker, who was serving as an NCO in the military at the time, reported Asraf's false abduction to the police.
According to the indictment, during their drive to Kiryat Arba on April 2, 2015, Asraf told Nagauker that he planned on disappearing in the hopes that the media attention will make his ex-girlfriend worry about him.
After arriving in Kiryat Arba, the two planed how they would fake the disappearance, and looked for a hiding place, the indictment said. Asraf then left for the hiding spot as planned, while leaving his cell phone in the car to prevent his location from being traced.
According to the indictment, Nagauker then left Kiryat Arba, stopped on the side of the road, took the air out of the car's tires, replaced one of the tires with the spare, and turned back to Kiryat Arba.
Upon entering Kiryat Arba, he turned to a police officer who was sitting in his car on the side of the road, and according to the indictment gave a false report in which he stated that his friend has been gone for 30 minutes after he left the car and walked towards an Arab village.
The officer instructed Nagauker to call 100 (the police emergency call center), which the indictment said he did knowing it was a false report. The two allegedly wanted to induce a large scale reaction from Israel's security forces, in order to garner massive media coverage.
As a result of Nagauker's report, the military put into action its emergency procedure, fearing that Asraf was kidnapped. Thousands of soldiers, several Special Forces units, aircraft, and other technological measures were deployed in the area to search for Asraf. The army set up several checkpoints in the area, and sweeps were conducted in nearby villages, while restrictions were imposed on local residents. In some cases, clashes broke out where the military was conducting its search for Asraf.
All the while Asraf was in his hiding spot, with the indictment claiming he knew forces were searching for him because of the loud sirens of emergency vehicles operating in the area. Close to 7 pm, Nagauker gave another statement to the Hebron police department, wherein he admitted to giving a false report, while being aware of the ongoing search for his friend.
The indictment stated that in the months leading up to the incident, Asraf had been partaking in illegal gambling. His gambling habit left him owing a hefty debt to several people, leading him to search for a way out of the debt. That is how he came upon the idea of faking a kidnapping near Hebron, in an attempt to influence the creditors through the media.
In his defense, Asraf claimed that he tried to contact the police in order to tell them that he was being blackmailed by creditors, and decided to disappear when he felt he had no other recourse. Nagauker's lawyer, Itay Itzhak, said in response: "Only in Israel is an event with wide media coverage translated into an indictment without legal basis. We are currently studying the indictment."
Niv Asraf faked his own kidnapping with the help of Eran Nagauker, causing the IDF to send massive troops to search for him.
Niv Asraf, who faked his own kidnapping in the West Bank, was indicted at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, along with his friend Eran Nagauker.
The two 22-year-olds from Be'er Sheva were charged with providing a false report and fraudulently obtaining benefits.
Asraf put the entire country on edge when he decided to fake his own kidnapping, hiding near Kiryat Arba while thousands of police and IDF troops searched for him. His friend Nagauker, who was serving as an NCO in the military at the time, reported Asraf's false abduction to the police.
According to the indictment, during their drive to Kiryat Arba on April 2, 2015, Asraf told Nagauker that he planned on disappearing in the hopes that the media attention will make his ex-girlfriend worry about him.
After arriving in Kiryat Arba, the two planed how they would fake the disappearance, and looked for a hiding place, the indictment said. Asraf then left for the hiding spot as planned, while leaving his cell phone in the car to prevent his location from being traced.
According to the indictment, Nagauker then left Kiryat Arba, stopped on the side of the road, took the air out of the car's tires, replaced one of the tires with the spare, and turned back to Kiryat Arba.
Upon entering Kiryat Arba, he turned to a police officer who was sitting in his car on the side of the road, and according to the indictment gave a false report in which he stated that his friend has been gone for 30 minutes after he left the car and walked towards an Arab village.
The officer instructed Nagauker to call 100 (the police emergency call center), which the indictment said he did knowing it was a false report. The two allegedly wanted to induce a large scale reaction from Israel's security forces, in order to garner massive media coverage.
As a result of Nagauker's report, the military put into action its emergency procedure, fearing that Asraf was kidnapped. Thousands of soldiers, several Special Forces units, aircraft, and other technological measures were deployed in the area to search for Asraf. The army set up several checkpoints in the area, and sweeps were conducted in nearby villages, while restrictions were imposed on local residents. In some cases, clashes broke out where the military was conducting its search for Asraf.
All the while Asraf was in his hiding spot, with the indictment claiming he knew forces were searching for him because of the loud sirens of emergency vehicles operating in the area. Close to 7 pm, Nagauker gave another statement to the Hebron police department, wherein he admitted to giving a false report, while being aware of the ongoing search for his friend.
The indictment stated that in the months leading up to the incident, Asraf had been partaking in illegal gambling. His gambling habit left him owing a hefty debt to several people, leading him to search for a way out of the debt. That is how he came upon the idea of faking a kidnapping near Hebron, in an attempt to influence the creditors through the media.
In his defense, Asraf claimed that he tried to contact the police in order to tell them that he was being blackmailed by creditors, and decided to disappear when he felt he had no other recourse. Nagauker's lawyer, Itay Itzhak, said in response: "Only in Israel is an event with wide media coverage translated into an indictment without legal basis. We are currently studying the indictment."
Police raids Druze villages in Galilee, Golan overnight in search for perpetrators of two attacks on IDF ambulances taking wounded Syrian rebels for treatment in Israel, which resulted in death of one rebel.
Police said Wednesday it arrested ten people overnight who are suspected of involvement in two attacks earlier this week on military ambulances transporting wounded from Syria for treatment in Israel.
Police also searched the suspects' homes in Druze villages in the Galilee and the Golan Heights.
Inflamed by media reports suggesting some of the hundreds of wounded Syrians admitted to Israel for medical care belong to jihadi rebel groups fighting the Druze in Syria, the crowds of Druze blocked two army ambulances for inspection.
Early Monday morning, an IDF ambulance transporting wounded Syrians was attacked in the Druze local council of Hurfeish. One of the rioters was run over by the ambulance and taken to a Nahariya hospital for treatment.
Late Monday night, another ambulance was attacked in Majdal Shams. The ambulance managed to flee the lynch mob but attacked again in Neve Ativ, where one of the wounded Syrian rebels it was transporting was killed, while the other was critically wounded. An IDF doctor and another soldier were lightly wounded in the attack.
The suspects will be brought for a remand extension on Wednesday at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court. The Druze have protested Israel's continued treatment of wounded Syrian rebels, while pro-Assad Druze villages in Syria are in danger of being attacked by rebel forces, including jihadists from the al-Nusra Front.
Radical Islamists see the Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Islam, as apostates to be combated. Druze in Syria and many in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, have long been loyal to President Bashar Assad.
Police increased security over the past few weeks in a hospital in Nahariya where wounded Syrians are being treated, out of fear they will be targeted by Israeli Druze.
Druze leaders condemned the attack at the end of an emergency meeting on Tuesday and urged calm. "This is a criminal act, which completely contradicts the values of the Druze community that is known for generations for its aid and help to others, even when to its enemies. Any act of protest must be done within the limitations of the law. Those involved must be brought to justice," they said in a statement.
The Druze are an important minority in Israel and have influence within the government and the military.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement he would convene Druze leaders on Wednesday with a call "to calm tensions and to say to every Druze citizen of Israel to respect soldiers, law and order and not to take the law into their own hands".
Israel has also signaled it would intervene to prevent a massacre of Syrian Druze, with local media suggesting it might offer refugees from the community safe haven on the Golan.
Police said Wednesday it arrested ten people overnight who are suspected of involvement in two attacks earlier this week on military ambulances transporting wounded from Syria for treatment in Israel.
Police also searched the suspects' homes in Druze villages in the Galilee and the Golan Heights.
Inflamed by media reports suggesting some of the hundreds of wounded Syrians admitted to Israel for medical care belong to jihadi rebel groups fighting the Druze in Syria, the crowds of Druze blocked two army ambulances for inspection.
Early Monday morning, an IDF ambulance transporting wounded Syrians was attacked in the Druze local council of Hurfeish. One of the rioters was run over by the ambulance and taken to a Nahariya hospital for treatment.
Late Monday night, another ambulance was attacked in Majdal Shams. The ambulance managed to flee the lynch mob but attacked again in Neve Ativ, where one of the wounded Syrian rebels it was transporting was killed, while the other was critically wounded. An IDF doctor and another soldier were lightly wounded in the attack.
The suspects will be brought for a remand extension on Wednesday at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court. The Druze have protested Israel's continued treatment of wounded Syrian rebels, while pro-Assad Druze villages in Syria are in danger of being attacked by rebel forces, including jihadists from the al-Nusra Front.
Radical Islamists see the Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Islam, as apostates to be combated. Druze in Syria and many in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, have long been loyal to President Bashar Assad.
Police increased security over the past few weeks in a hospital in Nahariya where wounded Syrians are being treated, out of fear they will be targeted by Israeli Druze.
Druze leaders condemned the attack at the end of an emergency meeting on Tuesday and urged calm. "This is a criminal act, which completely contradicts the values of the Druze community that is known for generations for its aid and help to others, even when to its enemies. Any act of protest must be done within the limitations of the law. Those involved must be brought to justice," they said in a statement.
The Druze are an important minority in Israel and have influence within the government and the military.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement he would convene Druze leaders on Wednesday with a call "to calm tensions and to say to every Druze citizen of Israel to respect soldiers, law and order and not to take the law into their own hands".
Israel has also signaled it would intervene to prevent a massacre of Syrian Druze, with local media suggesting it might offer refugees from the community safe haven on the Golan.
